S’micha

I received s’micha as a maggid from Reb Maggid Yitzhak Buxbaum, who received s’micha as a maggid from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach zt”l and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi zt”l and ultimately up to the Ba’al Shem Tov zt”l. It is my privilege to carry on his school and line of s’micha.

In that tradition, I offer s’micha to qualified Jewish students who complete the full four semesters of the Transformational Storytelling program, and who complete a special project devised specifically for them in the final semester. Jewish students who wish to pursue s’micha should have discussions with me prior to their enrolling in the course.

“Maggid” is the traditional title for a Jewish inspirational teacher or “preacher.”

Some people mistakenly confuse a maggid with a storyteller. Instead, a maggid fills a spiritual role: to draw people to a deeper spirituality / closer to God. A Jewish storyteller can be purely secular, even if only Jewish religious tales are told. Without the motive to bring people to a deeper spirituality / closer to God, such a person would not be a maggid.

Storytelling is only one way to accomplish the maggid’s goal: inspirational speaking in the form of preaching, leading scriptural study, and even one-on-one conversations are other means to the same end.

I look forward to exploring your interest and readiness for s’micha as a maggid, and welcoming you to the profound honor and challenges of the role.